Megge of Bury Down by Rebecca Kightlinger

Thank you to NetGalley and Rowan Moon for a digital audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book narrated by Jan Cramer. She did an excellent job bringing all the characters to life in this story set in 13th Century Cornwall.

Megge keeps avoiding her destiny by not reading the 'Book of Seasons'. When she first touched it at 6 years old, she was burned by it and felt like the book was cursed. Just when Megge is forced to follow her destiny, it ends with a cliffhanger. Really looking forward to reading the continuation of her story. 

#MeggeofBuryDown #NetGalley

This was an excellent story of fantasy/historical fiction! Since this was the first in the series I am happy to see what happens in the next one.  I listen to the audio book with Jan Cramer as the narrator. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request from NetGalley and have voluntarily left this review.

I was given this book as a audio arc on NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity. 

I enjoy the atmosphere of this book, the narrator was really good and the story was interesting. The only thing I would complain about would be the rythme of the story. which was a bit weird in my opinion. I don't think this book was made for audio and I believe it would be better as a physical or e-book even though the narrator did an amazing job, I was lost at time. 

Overall it's a nice atmospheric read and I would recommend to anyone who wants to travel to medieval-time Cornwall.

Megge of Bury Down is the story of 13 year old Megge in 13th century Cornwall. Megge is heir to the Book of Seasons but after touching it just once she wants nothing to do with it. However she might not have that choice. 
This book is really the beginning of a larger tale and is the setup story. It introduces you to Megge and the family lore about the book as well as what happens to the others in her life that get her moving on her journey. I would suggest reading this in isolation because the story does abruptly end after some large revelations. If you are interested in starting a new series and enjoy historical fantasy you might find this one interesting but if not this might not be worth it.

Megge is a complex character in this engaging story of healers ("good witches") in the middle ages.

Megge has been born into a family of healers. One line of the family has an ancient Book of Time and the other line has an ancient Book of Seasons. The books contain healing remedies and techniques and words of celestial wisdom written down by the women over the generations. Each new daughter is trained as an apprentice and prepared to take the vow of the women of Bury Down when they reach a certain age.

When Megge goes eagerly to her vowtaking ceremony she is frightened by a sense of evil and burning from the book. She refuses to touch the book again and chooses to follow a different family member who helps to train her first in shepherding and later in weaving. She knows her mother is disappointed in her but doesn’t realize that she is still being trained to take a role in the family legacy.

But some men seek the powers of the books and are willing to challenge the women as ‘witches’ doing the devil’s work in spite of the healing help they have provided in the community. A Blackfriar abbot arrives and is told by jealous young women to hunt out Megge’s mother and aunt. The confrontation puts Megge in a stressed situation as she will have to take some action if she wants to save her family.

The author takes a good portion of the story developing Megge’s character and adding the family history through storytelling times. Megge is a young girl who wants to choose her own destiny, not realizing the significance of the family legacy. I liked Megge’s conflicted character and the strong female mentors who helped shape her and give her courage.

The author does a good job of building the mysticism and tension that could easily surround skilled healers in the middle ages. The story reaches a twisted climax and conclusion but leaves open issues for the sequel, The Lady of the Cliffs. I am not a huge fan of coming of the age stories and I am glad this is much more. I enjoyed this one and hope to get the second book at NetGalley too. I recommend this story to readers who like historical dramas with a touch of ancient runes and incantations.

Audio Notes: Jan Cramer is a British born narrator who delivers the Welsh accents wonderfully. The sound is lovely and added to my being immersed in the thirteenth-century world. The narration enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

Source: 2020 NetGalley.

I don't read much of fantasy but since this book was a historical fantasy based in medieval England (Cornwall) I decided to give it a try and that to as an audio book for a change. I was pleasantly surprised. I liked the narrator's voice; it is soothing, melodic and clear and she does manage to create an atmospheric feel but I did struggle a bit to keep up with the pace, the story and the different characters and their relationship with each other and I feel the written book would have been a better choice for myself to read. 

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Rowan Moon/IBPA Members' Audiobooks and the author Rebecca Kightlinger for the audio ARC of the book. Once again I will say the narrator Jan Cramer has a beautiful voice and she has done a good narration job; it's just my personal opinion that the written version would have been a better option for myself. 

The book was published on 9th November 2018.

Rating:⭐⭐⭐💫

The narration for this story was well-done and atmospheric. I enjoyed listening to it. This is a historical fantasy story, which is a bit different than I would typically choose to listen to or read. The story follows Megge, who has powerful gifts passed down to her from both her mother and fathers side. This is a coming of age story that follows Megge as she tries to deny her future, eventually coming to accept that she must fulfill her destiny. 

This book takes place in medieval Cornwall area. There were times this felt a bit slow, but I thought the prose was lovely overall.

<i>*I received this audiobook from NetGalley for review. These opinions are my own.

I listened this audio book with love. It was well recited and written. I read the book one and two. Both have great. Narrators and plots. Highly recommended!

Thirteenth Century Cornwall...not an easy time for women. Young Megge struggles to accept her destiny. This is an engaging and entertaining read full of interesting facts about medieval life. The ending felt abrupt, but I realize this is part one of a continuing series.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Megge of Bury Down is old enough to become an apprentice to her mother, which means accepting and vowing to protect the Book of Seasons.  However, when she touches the book at her vowtaking ceremony, she hears a voice hiss <i>murderer</i>, and her fingers get burned.  Convinced that the book is cursed and she will be too, she refuses even to look at it.  When her mother and aunt are arrested for not handing over their books, will Megge find the courage she needs to look in the Book of Seasons?

This book is a bit slow at the beginning but eventually picks up its pace toward the end.  I didn't realize before starting the book that Megge is only 6 years old when she goes through her vow-taking ceremony.  Even at the climax of the book, she is only 13.  Her immaturity definitely shows in the book and put me off her a bit.  I would have preferred to follow her mother and aunt through the story more than Megge.  Maybe this is a sign that I am getting old? LOL  I felt like things were just getting started when the book ended, so I am curious to see what happens in the sequel!

Megge of Bury Down is a very well written historical fantasy taking place in 13th century England. Ultimately, this is a coming of age story and we get to see our protagonist Megge from the time she is a child and into her early teens. I wasn't expecting Megge to be so young through the majority of the book, but this was well balanced with other older characters in the story. My favorite part of this book was the focus on strong female characters and the bonds between them. It was beautifully done.  

I did struggle with the pacing. It was a very slow book and not quite as plot driven as I would have liked. I also would have enjoyed seeing more magic but perhaps that will happen in the next book. Overall, this is a solid debt and the series has a lot of potential. If you like historical fiction and magical realism, give this book a try. I highly recommend the audiobook. The narrator was fantastic. 

**A free e-book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really liked this book. It had great characters and the story flowed very well. I also liked the writing.

I really enjoyed this audiobook but think I would have liked a different narrator better.  It was just me and my take on the voice.  I enjoyed the main character and her struggle to discover and come into her purpose..

The narrators voice is percect which makes this story extremely enjoyable. I would recommend all of her books to anyone that likes to read for escape. Extremely enjoyable as an escape from these times we are in...

Thank you to NetGalley for this free alc in exchange for my honest review.

This was the first book by this author I have “read” and I really enjoyed the audiobook version. The reader of this audio book absolutely hit the Mark with this story. She reads clearly, with amazing tone, emotion, and inflection. She melodically and methodically adjust her voice to fit the particular parts of the story.
The story by Rebecca Kightlinger, is so very authentic to the frustration healers had in Celtic English. It has amazing depth to the characters. Although some parts are difficult to read/hear, I believe that this leads to the authenticity of the story.
If you enjoy historical books, Wiccan history, Celtic history, or just want a good fantasy fiction book this would be a great read.  There are a few points in the story that it gets sometimes too descriptive or the story doesn’t feel like it is progressing at the pace you would like, however, I challenge any reader to stick with it because it is a really great read!
Thank you to NetGalley, Rebecca Kighrlinger, and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks for the opportunity to read and review this book. All the words and thoughts in this review are completely my own.

Megge of Bury Down is the first in a fantasy/historical fiction series that takes place in 13th century Cornwall, England. Unfortunately, this book just didn’t work for me, even though historical fiction with a bit of magic or fantasy is one of my favorite genres. I listened to the audiobook, narrated well by Jan Cramer. The first half was very slow, consisting of a lot of family history, with not a lot happening. It was a bit difficult to keep all the names and relationships straight - I am not sure if it would have been easier if I were reading rather than listening. At about halfway, the story finally picked up and then it was a rush of events to the end of the book, which ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. I did really enjoy learning about how the women in the book did their healing and how they lived.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rowan Moon for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Megge wants nothing to do with her families legacy.  After she touched her mothers Book of Seasons she heard someone whisper "murderer" and she has refused to touch it ever since. But it is always there taunting her, talking to her. So she tries instead to focuses on herding and learning to weave and spin wool.   Her Aunt has a Book of Time both books handed down through generations and protected by a guardian who can unite both books. But Megge is frightened of them both, she seems to have a natural affinity for healing and helping her mother tend to the sick but Megge continues to refuse to touch or even look on her mothers book.  She is worried what it would mean for her to take it up.  When an Abbot comes and starts asking questions about her family she knows they are all in danger but doesn't know what to do.  

The narrator has a wonderful lilting brogue that gives life to this story of a young Megge and her family.  Steeped in superstition and folklore, this is the perfect setting for this tale of a family cursed and a young girl with a huge weight thrust upon her and her not sure if she wants or can handle it. 

I thought the book was a bit slow to start but then got sucked into the story and very much enjoyed it.  There are a lot of characters and some have lived before thus having 2 different names so you really need to pay attention. I was a little taken aback by how abruptly this first book ended but it did make me look forward to the 2nd in the series.

Set in 13th century England, this book tells the story of Megge - one of the women of Bury Down - healers and protectors of the Book of Seasons.  At six years old, Megge is expected to accept a vow to protect the book.  When she touches the book, it burns her hand and she refuses to take her vow.  Will family tragedy force her to take her place as protector of the book?  

A bit of a slow start, but it grabbed my interest and held it through the rest of the book. The book is well-written with a rich cast of strong women characters - Megge, her mother, Brighida, Morwen and Aleydis.  The book ends on a cliffhanger, but I am looking forward to book 2 - The Lady of the Cliffs.

Megge of Bury Down is a compelling coming of age story with themes that resonate today. Set in 13th century England, it is about a young girl who struggles with walking the path set for her by her mother and female ancestors of becoming a healer, or walking the path that she chooses for herself. Megge remains strong and learns ways to calm herself, all the while standing up to her family and peer pressure. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Jan Cramer, who did a wonderful job portraying the magic behind this story. I received a complimentary copy of the audiobook from NetGalley and leave this review freely and in my own words. This book is apparently the first in a series and I look forward to learning more about Megge and her family.

Maggie is only a young child of six years when she is brought to a special place in the woods to become one of the women of Bury Down. Unfortunately, things do not go as her mother planned. “Murder!” The book speaks horrible things to Maggie and it hurts her. Rejecting the book, Maggie spends her time learning new skills and tending the sheep. Her mother keeps pushing her to accept the book, but still Maggie refuses. We follow Maggie as she grows into a young woman and how the book is always there, taunting her. Eventually a man, a supposedly holy man, comes to town and tears Maggie’s world apart. Deeply buried secrets are bright to light and Maggie’s innocent childhood comes to a close. The narrator for this audiobook was perfect for this tale. The story ends abruptly, but one I enjoyed greatly.